Tech Tips and Tricks & Advice – written in plain English.

Keyboard troubleshooting: is “Sticky Keys” on?

Yesterday I received a call from someone who was rather distraught and frantic (this happens from time to time at my Tech Support business) because, all of a sudden, they couldn’t type on their computer. Actually, she could type.. but she was getting very strange results.

After determining that she had not recently poured an extra-large Cafe Latte on her keyboard (to read my article on what to do if you dospill on your keyboard, [or, if a single key has stopped responding] click here), and asking some other diagnostic questions, I determined that she had accidentally turned on Windows’ FilterKeys feature and simply needed to turn it off again.
FilterKeys is a subset of keyboard “Accessibility Options” included in Windows to assist people who have difficulties typing. These tools are activated (toggled on and off) by keyboard stroke combinations (shortcuts).

Tip of the day: Understand and use (or make sure they’re turned off) keyboard Accessibility Options. There are several types of help for those with typing difficulties, namely:StickyKeys is an accessibility feature designed for people who have difficulty holding down two or more keys at a time. When a shortcut requires a key combination such as CTRL+P, StickyKeys will enable you to press one key at a time instead of pressing them simultaneously.FilterKeys: You can set Windows to ignore keystrokes that occur in rapid succession, or keystrokes that are held down for several seconds unintentionally.Bounce Keys: If you bounce your fingers on keys inadvertently, Bounce Keys will ignore repeated keystrokes until some time has passed. You choose the time period.Repeat Keys and Slow Keys: The computer will ignore brief keystrokes according to the time limits you set.

To access these Options and turn them off or on, go to your Control Panel– click Start >Settings >Control Panel >Accessibility Options.
By default it opens to the keyboard tab. If you are experiencing a sudden onset of bizarre typing behavior, your first step is to visit here and ensure that there are no checks in the three checkboxes, which indicates these Options are in use.
I mentioned that shortcuts ‘activate’ these features — such as Tab+Enter, and a couple of Alt+a letter— and so you may have turned them on unintentionally.

If you do have some difficulty with your typing, such as happens when a Mr. Arthur Itis comes to visit, or/and if you have tremors, here is where you can enable these aids and tweak their settings to get the most benefit from them. Click on the “Settings” button to see the choices. Below is the FilterKeys Settings dialogue.
In the case mentioned, my client had first held down the Shift key long enough to activate FilterKeys (because a finger “rests” there). The lady was an extremely fast typist, and this setting ignored her strokes as being too short. Since she has no use for this tool, I recommended that she uncheck the top checkbox and disable the activating shortcut.

This screenshot shows the settings for StickyKeys, and unless you have trouble holding down more than one key at the same time — such as Ctrl+Alt+Del to activate Task Manager — I suggest you uncheck the top checkbox here as well.

Today’s free link: Loyal readers of this daily How To series know that I have a certain sensitivity to how the marvels of today’s technology has had an affect on our civil liberties and privacy. If you share my concerns, you should be aware of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization looking out for us in this arena. Take a look and see the latest headlines and concerns, and see how they’re defending your rights.

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294 Comments

my keyboard decided to quit working after a grandson installed a hunting game which require use of the shift key to move the hunter…I have tried to remove stickykeys through the control panel and have been most unsuccessful what else can I do?

Well, Sharon, I’m not sure what you mean by “quit working”, and why you decided that its behavior best resembles the StickyKeys effect/option (I would have to take a look-see to find what’s really going on) but:
The general guidelines for troubleshooting suggest that you uninstall the game, and see if that restores your functionality. (If you just did something, and it messes things up.. UN-do it.)
You might also use System Restore to revert your settings back to a point in time before the keyboard started malfunctioning. (https://techpaul.wordpress.com/2007/06/19/my-favorite-life-saver-flavor-system-restore/)
If the keyboard is attached via a USB cable sometimes simply unplugging it, counting to 5, and re-plugging it in again will correct weirdnesses. Similarly, if you are using a wireless keyboard, changing the batteries will fix little glitches (it is possible the game install is not related).

If those tips do not help you, visit my (business) website and click the link for the free diagnosis. Sometimes all it takes is an experienced eye. http://aplusca.com

so i was playing World of Warcraft earlier tonight when my escape key decided to stop working. it has happened before but i dont remember how i fixed it. the caps lock key and the F-lock key soon followed, i believe it has something to do with sticky keys but cant figure out how to reset everything back to normal. some help would greatly be appreciated so i dont have to buy a new keyboard tomorrow.

Daniel–
It sounds to me more like a dirt & wear problem than FilterKeys, BounceKeys, or StickyKeys.. (hardware, not software)
But, follow the advice above to uncheck the “Use shortcut to enable..” checkboxes to disable the features, just to make sure.
Then read https://techpaul.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/repost-keyboard-maintenance/ to learn the maintenance steps for getting more life from your old keyboard. (*the last trick may be your best bet.)

On my laptop, when I’m trying to scroll to a location of a file lower on display, it immediately zipped back to the top of the list of files.
Also, the scrolling is extremely slow in other programs and on the internet. I’ve tryed using a canister of compressed air to blow out any trash. Wasn’t the problem.
Help,
Gloria

Glo–
You’re right; that would only help you if you were using the PgDn key to scroll, and there was some gunk under there that prevented full key depression.

If you are using a touchpad to scroll, you might want to install the latest drivers, and see if that doesn’t cure your machine’s misbehavior. Click on my “Device drivers” category to see my articles on installing drivers, if you need guidance.
(Most touchpad software is by Synaptics.)

And although this is a rare symptom, it may be an indicator of malware. I would suggest you visit Trend Micro’s Housecall and run a scan.

As a Repair Tech, I can say that the type of behavior you’re describing is unusual, and I would want to take a look at your machine. If your laptop is still under warranty, you might want to let the manufacturer’s Live Support have a look (and if it isn’t, take it it to a qualified Tech.. not some MegaElectronic store’s tech dept.)

I have this strange problem with my brand new keyboard.
While every key seems to be working well as a unit, when I try some specific combinations, the keyboard does not respond. For instance, if I press & hold the down+right arrow keys, these four keys: “q”,”w”,”j” and “k” are not responding. The rest keys respond perfectly, so I assume that this is not a “number of simultaneously pressed keys” issue.

Anyway, you can imagine how annoying is this especially in games that you need to use the directional and letter keys as well… Do you have any idea of what causes this kind of problem?

Maratsos–“q”,”w”,”j” and “k” are not responding. The rest keys respond perfectly
Hmmm…
First, follow the steps in this article to make sure that NO “Accessibility Options” are enabled (as shown in the first image).. that is, no checkbox is checked.
Then, make sure you have the latest device driver from the manufacturer’s website installed.
While you’re on the keyboard manufacturer’s website, look on the FAQ and/or Support page for a description of this issue.
If these things don’t clear up the problem, contact the manufacturer. It may be you have a slight defect..

My wireless keyboard started to act weird today. It typing the letter x repeatedly. I changed batteries and check all of the obvious things. Even if i tried to back space it would just move forward with a row of x’s.

Folks–
When asking for free troubleshooting advice, it is good manners to provide some basic details.. The norm is to at least provide the operating system XP/Vista/Mac/etc.. and also when it is a device that’s misbehaving, the make/model.

CPG–
That is kind of unusual behavior, isn’t it? First of all, the ‘Sticky Keys’ article is not for this kind of malfunction, but the link provided (2nd paragraph) is. Please follow the cleaning steps found there first. (You may have to remove the keycap).

If that doesn’t resolve the issue, unplug the USB/base station, go into Device Manager, and uninstall the keyboard. Then reboot. When you are booted, and can see your Desktop, plug the USB back in. You should see a “Found new hardware” dialogue installing the keyboard’s driver.

If that fails to resolve the issue.. I would need to ask you some questions before offering any further advice.

many thanks,iam a one finger typest,and a slow one at that. i came across your website while searching for help for as you so nicely put it : bizarre typing “after reading keyboard accessibility options section , i went into check my settings,[ prior to your article i had never ventured into this area, too tech, for me }and sure enough there was a tick in the first box, i unclicked , problem solved. many thanks for your help will pass your site on to my friends thankyou

To whom it may concern,
I recently bought an eee pc laptop. When I turned it on today the keyboard was not working. I installed avg anti virus software yesterday so I thought this might have something to do with it. I uninstalled it but it still refused to work. Im confused with reguards to the problem. Its not old enough to be a dust or damage problem. Is there some way I might have locked the keyboard by mistake or is it an internal problem?

Hi there. I believe that I accidentally enabled StickyKeys/FilterKeys because I put a pencil case on my laptop keyboard and I didn’t know that pressing the shift key for some time would enable those said functions. Now, the problem is that my keyboard is really acting up. Like for instance, the ‘Fn’ key of the laptop seems always pressed on because when I have to increase the brightness of the LCD, say the brightness is key F1, I don’t have to combine anymore the keys Fn+F1. Just pressing the key F1 would automatically increase the brightness. That’s why I can’t type ‘u’, ‘i’, ‘o’, ‘p’ because these keys act up as ‘4’, ‘5’, ‘6’ , ‘-‘ because of the NumLk function. I really don’t know how to revert back the keys to its original state. I hope you could help me out on this one. Thanks

Claude,
When asking for help, it is … um, standard practice to state the operating system, and the make and model of unit. My answer might be different between a Mac and a Windows XP and a Windows Vista.. i.e..
But I am going to answer assuming your PC is a Windows machine.

Your problem may be mechanical and it may be software-related.
If this is a quite recent development, the fist thing to try is System Restore – choosing a date prior to the malfunction.
If that doesn’t resolve the issue, next go into Device Manager and Uninstall the keyboard; then reboot (restart) the unit. Windows will “detect” the keyboard and re-Install it at startup.

Of course, the problem may be mechanical, in which case I recommend replacing the keyboard assembly. While this can be done as a D-I-Y, I advise taking it to a qualified technician.

Hi techpaul
I have windows XP. Yesterday our very old keyboard stopped responding, so I bought a wireless one. The keyboard assigned keys worked (Home, calculator etc) but none of the alphabetical or numerical keys. I tried lots of things (re-installing etc) but in the end returned it to the shop and exchanged it for a plug in USB keyboard.

This new keyboad is doing EXACTLY the same thing! Only the previously assigned keys are working (home, calculator, volume etc) and none of the alphabetical or numerical ones.
The new keyboard is plug and play. I have tried three different USB ports and still no joy. THere is no CD or insallation disc.

Jenny,
I think it is not a case of there being anything wrong with the new keyboards, but that you need to go into Device Manager and uninstall the existing keyboard “drivers”. Then you can plug in the new keyboard. (The old software is interfering)

You are amazingly quick – thank you. Sorry to be stupid, but my old keyboard was plugged in with a PS/2 connector but I am unable to find the drivers in the device manager list as I can’t work out which is the relevant bit to click on and it isn’t obvious to me which one it is.

Ah!! Maybe this is the problem. There is no keyboard category. I have also tried looking with the new keyboard plugged in or not and whichever I do there is no keyboard drop down.

There is keyboard icon in control panel but when I click this and then on the hardware tab there is no device listed. It’s as if the computer isn’t recognising the keyboard – and yet the hot keys work…

alex,
I have no idea of what you did to the computer to initiate that behavior, but if you know (or can guess) what that was, you might try un-doing it (perhaps with System Restore). You might also try the technique mentioned here, What To Do When Your Mouse Plays Dead. Or Your Keyboard.

Hi paul…
I have a prob in logging in via win XP pro. the sticky keys get activated…and i have to deep press the digits to get it typed and then enter. I tried disabling sticky keys everything. Doesnt help. Also the cursor goes thick black while blinking. please advise….

well….I was the administrator in this case and i tried cleaning up the system and performing a malware check too (malwarebytes). Other stuffs like the tabs and the toolbars, seems fine to me, but the problem is only during the windows login. I get that big font when i click the password area and you cannot enter any characters. only if i press and hold the key, the password enters in. I tried a system restore too…but in vain.
please help on this.

Sudharshan,
This is not a problem whose answer helps “everyone”, and so you are asking for free support. I do not provide my professional support outside N. America. I am going to tell you that the only (few) times I personally have encountered your issue was on bootleg copies of XP (which I do not support) or on malware infected systems.

That said, I will suggest to you that you have a few (more) options. Here are a few:
* Run sfc /scannow from the command prompt.
* Visit an online antivirus scanner and perform a Full system scan — I prefer Trend Micro’s Housecall.
* Create another User account and use it to logon.
* Change the way you logon (so that entering a password isn’t required [“auto logon”]).
* Perform a repair install of XP.
* Take your computer to a qualified tech.

please help me with my netbook problem, it’s ASUS eepc series with microsoft windows XP.. it was bought i think just last year and now most of the keys are malfunctioning, either it cant be pressed or other keys will appear.. i’ve tried this tip but it didnt work.. i’m afraid i broke something from the USB socket on the side of the laptop, and now im thinking it may caused all of this.. but all the USBs i inserted are still working well, do you think it would be solved by more of your tips? or it’s a hardware malfunction now?

Hi
I wonder if anyone can help, I pressed and held the shift key down for to long and a box popped up I cant remember what I clicked but since then my keyboard wouldnt work, I can make it work by pressing and holding the shift key down for about 8 secs until my comp makes a funny noise then I can type normally, when I log out and back in I need to do this again before I can type.
Any ideas how to stop it from happening?

Cheryl,
The answer is in the article. This is a “Accessibility Options” (FilterKey) and you should go into Settings (in Control Panel > Accessibility Options). Open ‘accessibility options’ & select ‘Settings’ un-select ‘use shortcut’ & apply it, the problem should be solved.

.. An old trick is to hold both Shift keys down together, for about 5 seconds, followed by the Alt key…

Hi,
my keypad is completely weird. for exemple:
z=”urz”
é=”è’é”&” + open windows media center
s=”-(s²73″ + cap lock + reduce sound
w=”nbw ”
x=”,vx”
2=”27431″ and some other magic funny tricks
I checked my setting which are just fine, I didn’t spilled anything on it (plus it’s a 6 month old laptop so it can’t be dust, I did a complete and extended scan with Avast which came up clean and I turned my computer off and on… It did the same thing couple of days ago but the problem disapeared after 2hours of trying to solve it (and surely without having any idea on what I did to fix it). I have an azerty keyboard on a ASUS K53SC SX050V – Pentium 2 GHz laptop.

Waouh, that’s a fast answer! thanks a lot, but it still doesn’t work….. I guess I’m good for longterm trouble with the manufacturer… anyway, thanks a lot and have a great evening (or day, depending on where you live).
Manu

I have to keep tapping the keys over and over to get it to write the keys do not seem to want to work. this does not do it all the time its very bad doing e mails it is taking for ever to write. it mises out letters if I dont watch it all the time. thank you Carol.

I have about a 3 year old dell laptop (windows 7). My “V” “h” and “C” keys are not working in my browser, but they will work in Word. I looked and none of the Accessibility Options are on. Do you know what it might be? Thanks!

1. A double-tap of the Windows (or Super) key.
2. A double-tap of specifically the right Super key.
3. Restart the effected application (or Explorer if effected)
4. Reboot (last resort).
5. “Detect and Repair” from the Help menu in Outlook (Outlook only)
6. Press CapsLock and Shift back down to lower case (per letter fix)
7. Fn key and Super key may toggle problem on and off.
8. Region and Language —> Keyboards and Languages —> change keyboards;
delete all keyboards other than your language and delete all instances of “Ink Correction”.

(If your browser is Chrome, I think the only ‘fix’ is to restart the browser.)

so my issue is, my computer’s keyboard will either not type and just sit there and eventally will let you type, then when you get to punch a few keys in it repeats whatever key it feels like over and over forever ex: wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…….

i took it to the shop they formated it and charged 115.00 turned it on today and what do you know same thing , its not they keyboard i have used 3 different ones brand new. anyone have any idea what it could be?

daniel,
I am sorry to hear such a drastic fix was not a cure. The answers that may help you are mentioned in my replies to previous comments (above). Without diagnosing your machine, I cannot offer more; so try those things first. (I would start by reading my reply to “manu”.)

daniel,
I guess I assumed from the way you posed the question, that your keyboard troubles happened to a single keyboard, and happened even though it had just had Windows re-Installed.

The answer (technique) that will help (I suspect) was provided above, specifically, What To Do When Your Mouse Plays Dead. Or Your Keyboard.. I believe you are having conflicting device driver issues and simply have to uninstall the device you are not using from Device Manager. (Or.. uninstall both keyboards, power down, plug in the USB keyboard, and power up again.)

Gj,
Some of keyboard troubleshooting techniques discussed here (and in the Comments, above) can be applied to Apple products – in a general kind of way.

But since you didn’t tell me which kind of keyboard, and what the (specific) problem is, I can only point you to this as a starting place http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2490. (And if that doesn’t help, then suggest you search the forum)

Just today I don’t know what I pressed but now a lot of keys are instead causing things to open or close on my computer, it’s like the windows key is held down while I type, even though it’s not, the only way to kind of get around this is by holding the shift button down while typing, but some keys still do not work however, I tried just rebooting my pc but that didn’t resolve and my computers accessibility options won’t open without an error message, I tried looking it up online but didn’t find a resolution and I bet it’s simple

Clint,
I have posted many things to try in answers to previous question (above). If you have a Windows PC, you might start with the method described in the “What to do when your mouse plays dead (or keyboard)” article.. )

I went through that, unplugging and reconnecting USB keyboard, didn’t resolve, no driver issues, I know it has to be from something I pressed by accident… Examples of the issue, If I press ‘e’ it brings up “my computer”; ‘r’= “run”; ‘d’=desktop; ‘f’=”search” and so on, just all the windows key functions, but it’s not pressed down, I even tried shaking my keyboard upside down to get rid of any stuck keys

Clint,
The first step is giving the keyboard a good cleaning.. maybe a vacuuming. If, when you banged the keyboard on the desk a bunch of grit/sand/rice grains/etc. did not fall out, then perhaps a sticky fluid got under the keys and dried.. in which case, the “bathtub trick” (or dishwasher trick) may be a good thing to know about.

Roscoe,
Though they changed the name (in Windows 7) to “Ease of Access Center“, and the option name to “Make the keyboard easier to use“, everything else is the same.. so, sorry but no, I am in no hurry to update all my prior articles (1,800+ of them) to reflect Windows 7 (nor 8) ‘adjustments’.

In Vista, but more so in Windows 7, and it’s practically mandatory in Windows 8, they want you to – instead of looking for an icon (or word in a menu list) – type what you’re looking for into the Search pane (above the Start button); whether that be a document you worked on recently, or a program you want to launch, or, whatever.

So if you do not see “Accessibility Options” or “Ease of Access Center”, click Start and then start typing in a-c-c-e-s-s. It will appear in the list of results by the time you get to the 3rd “c”.

Looking for an icon (aka “hunting”) is now “old school” and passe. But if you want Windows 7’s Control Panel to be more detailed, and look more like XP’s did, change the “View by” to “small icons”.

please help, the sticky keys are activated and nothing will turn them off. i’ve even done a system restore and i cannot undo the problem. i did all the normal disabling in the ease of access center, it makes no difference. ive held down buttons and nothing. please please help. i have a lenovo think pad w500 and the darn sticky keys symbol is right next to my battery symbol is tourturing me….notice i use no caps…. please

melinda,
I think my three best answers (not necessarily in order) for you are:
1) Uninstall the keyboard in Device Manager, as described here: What To Do When Your Mouse Plays Dead. Or Your Keyboard..
2) Search the Lenovo user forum and if you don’t find an answer, post this question there.
3) Have a tech take a look.

David,
If the whole range of keys intermittently stops responding, you might try uninstalling the keyboard in Device manager, then reboot. If the problem continues, and the laptop is new, call HP support. You might have a defect.

I have windows 7 home premium on my computer. all was well with the keyboard and now thhere is a click sound each time a key is pressed. No letter shows up on the screen unless I hit the key for 2 clicks and then it appears very slowly. PLEASE help me reset the keyboard to normal.. I have a Dell system.

DONALD OULSNAM,
In my other answers, above, you will see – several times – links to another article (“What to do when your mouse plays dead”). You can try the uninstall technique described there.
But I don’t want to alarm you with what I say next.. if the machine is still under warranty, call Dell. If it’s not, you may want to have a tech take a look.

Thank you. I type faster than my keyboard was allowing me to, and it seemed to happen all of a sudden, and I read the above, and it’s fixed. I can type as fast as I want and don’t have to hard press on keys or wonder why accessibility comes out with only one “c” and I have t go back and add it in. Many thanks. I didn’t know this stuff was here, but apparently I did something somewhere along the line. New Windows, new computer. I’m happy now.

Hi Paul,
I am using Windows 7 Home Premium on an ASUS Notebook UL50a. The keyboard allows me to type fluently and fast, but after a few words the cursor moves sporadically to a random place somewhere else on the page. Very often, the text that I have typed is highlighted and then disappears with the next keystroke. I am a fast and accurate typist and have never encountered this type of problem on any other keyboard. It is making the Notebook unusable. The settings above are ok. I would really appreciate your help.
Thanks
Lindsay

And you might also try watching to see if your wrists (or bracelets) are brushing the touchpad, and or the left hand ‘function keys’ (Fn, Ctrl, Windows key, Alt). If so, you might need to turn off the touchpad and plug in a mouse.

Hi,
Thanks for the tip. I had suspected previously that the touchpad was a problem and am using a wireless mouse. I have never worked out how touch disable the touchpad. FN+F9 or F3 does not work and I cannot find it in the Control panel. Any ideas? Thanks a lot! Lindsay

Lindsay Russell,
Well, Fn+F9 should work, but I found a reply in a forum that said to try Fn+F10 instead.

And on the ASUS user forum:

open Control Panel and select Classic View (for easier approach), click for “Mouse” which will open the mouse properties, and look for the tab with the word “ELAN”. Click the tab and look for the check box that says “Disable when external USB mouse plug in”. Check it, press Apply then close. You can also disable the touchpad here for good by selecting “Elan Smart-Pad” at the list and clicking the “Stop Device”.

.. On some laptops, there is an actual On/Off ‘slider’ switch, but I don’t know your make/model. Google is your friend in these types of questions. (I searched for ASUS UL50a disable touchpad.. I see there’s at least one video how-to on youtube..)

If those ideas don’t help you, you can “disable” the mouse (trackpad) in Device Manager (again, Google).

Hi Paul,
I first had to go to the Asus website and download the Elantech software. Then I was able to do as you suggest and disable the touchpad, Great – thanks a lot for this. And so far it seems to have done the trick and my problem is solved. Thanks a lot!!!
Cheers
Lindsay

Lindsay Russell,
I suspected that you might have to download the driver.. but wasn’t certain (and didn’t want to daunt you with TMI, should there prove no reason). Thank you for letting me know the fix.

Congratulations on solving the puzzle! I hope it proves a permanent cure.

Hi paul
There is something seriously wrong with my laptop i switch on the caps lock and the letters are in lower case then i switched it off and the letters were in upper case as i typed and thats still happening at this minute and some more problem because my fullstop coma shift key and the numbers are all of them not working help please
kevin

I have a desktop running windows vista and I’m having a strange problem
when I first log on all is fine but after a while several things start happening and the only fix is a restart
first if numlock is on all txt fields will be filled with 0’s till full then beeping starts

second if anything is in the clipboard hitting shift will copy it into any txt field over and over till field is full then beeping starts

third when I open any (zip, rar, or other archive file in 7zip or winzip and I think any large folder as well) and select a file my select point begins moving down the page by itself selecting everything in its path no way to stop it

the only fix is a restart but that don’t last long b4 its doing it again

I found the accessibility options none are on
I updated my keyboard drivers
still no joy
if you can help I thnk you in advance

mend,
If you read my replies to questions above yours (in the Comments section) you will see a pattern — of an article, and a few things to try — emerge: check for viruses, uninstall the keyboard in Device Manager, etc..
I know there are many comments, but it won’t take you long to skim them. I think your answer will be in there.

thanks I had already read the hole post and tried everything except totally uninstalling keyboard so I did that b4 riposting.
was hoping the symptoms would point you in a direction and you might be able to think of something else
when I tried a different keyboard it still happens, and I’m showing no viruses. I’m beginning to think its input hardware
it does it in every usb slot,
to many keys are involved for it to be a dirt problem, and it does same thing with an old crap board I had laying round.
does it sound like maybe an input card problem or software to you?
any help would narrow things for me and be much appreciated

o and BTW the link you gave to an article on drivers in tour answer to post 20 seems to be broken if you could link me that anew I would love to read it

lastly you have helped a lotta ppl even if you cant fix this thanks for the effort

mend,
I apologize. It seems my “read my other answers” response was inappropriate in your case. And I thank you for pointing out the broken link, though I doubt a device driver is the issue (and uninstalling [all] the keyboards in DevMgr should have removed/reinstalled a/the driver anyway). The link should work now.

Since your trouble affects every keyboard you try, and every port, my first suspect would be to look at software: make sure the language is set to English, remove any “mapping” (and mapping programs, if you installed any), run a System File Check (sfc /scannow)… If you installed some program right before this started happening, uninstall it (aka the troubleshooting technique known as “undo any recent changes”.)

The fact that the clipboard and “large files/folder” is mentioned suggests it might be worth your while to check for bad RAM (Vista’s disc has Memory Check). (And if you’ve installed a clipboard/capture utility recently, uninstall that.. [and keyboard software in Control Panel, if any].)

And I might uninstall all keyboards in DevMgr once again. I have found that sometimes I need to repeat actions two, three times before they “stick”.

well I thought I would fill you in on the latest.
I removed my hard drive and replaced it with another one I had around that had windows xp on it.
to rule out either hardware or software.
(if it continued it must be hardware — if not software).

well it did continue, but just as I was getting really bummed “my computer is dieing WHY ME? ”
i lucked up and found the problem.
i was trying to configure my razor naga gaming mouse.
and when I hit one of the side keys it started filling the txt area I was in with 0000000000000 as it had before.
when I hit any other side key it would stop.
It has been the mouse that was malfunctioning all along, and since the naga’s extra keys mimic keybaord keys this is what you get.

i haven’t been able to recreate the other symptoms yet but as soon as they happen again I bet it will turn out to be another naga key
I even think I remember setting the naga to past the clipboard at one time in the past.

thanks for all your help with this
and I hope this post helps someone else somewhere

mend,
Well, that would be under the heading of “mapping” (and also “undo any recent changes” [aka “configuring my mouse“]). I am glad to hear you puzzled it out, and I thank you for the update. I join you in hoping it helps some future reader.

Cresencio Rodriguez,
In Windows XP, execute control access.cpl from the Command Prompt to access Accessibility Options directly.
In Vista/Win7/Win8, execute control /name Microsoft.EaseOfAccessCenter from the Command Prompt to access Ease of Access Center directly.

Hello, kind soul. I’d google this if I could, but I don’t have the slightest idea of what exactly to search for, so please bear with me and help me if you can.

My laptop has an odd case of sticky keys. Every key I press is followed by a phantom m stroke. K turns to km, a to am, all the ctrl and function keys result in an m as well. If I press m by itself it tends to behave most of the time, except for when it throws up a bunch of ms.

I thought it was windows being weird, but a restart didn’t help. Taking the button off and cleaning the accumulated fluff didn’t help. This article didn’t help. I’m at a complete loss.

Any ideas of what could help? Or should I just assume the keyboard has died and get it replaced?

I’m running Windows 7 home premium sp 1 on an emachines laptop that has seen better days.

Thanks to a required high school typing course in 1972, I am a speedy touch typist. Unfortunately, my keyboard cannot always keep up. It often stops typing as my fingers continue to hit the keys. I have to go back, left click where it left off, and re-type. (Just happened again!) I have a new Asus “Republic of Gamers” laptop with Windows 8. No sticky keys or any other filter keys are being used.

Lisa,
If I understand you, the machine actually ignores/forgets your keystrokes after some point, and you have to go back and retype (as opposed to there just being a delay between keystrike and letter appearing on the screen).

I think I would have to look at your problem to give a better answer. But I can tell you it is a problem: a new gamer should not have that. My suggestion is to visit Trend Micro’s online scanner Housecall to look for any malware. If the problem persists after that, contact ASUS.

Hello,i am confused right now,my mouse and keyboard worked perfectly until a few sec they dont respond,until i click on the page back. im scrolling down or up for a while then it suddenly stop,i left click the mouse and its work again for a while..same goes for my keyboard when i used up and down arrow..when i open a video(im using gomplayer) ,its usually works when i just click enter for full screen but it doesnt respond until i click on it and enter,but it doesnt word if it past a few sec after you click on it.usually i just use backward and forward arrow to move the video(forward or backward) but it wont until click on the video ,when i keep on clicking to move the video forward,it just happen for a few sec than it wont respond anymore after that no matter how many time i click the forward button..same goes when im typing,it suddenly wont respond..its really piss me off just for typing on folders name
i hope someone can help me,i dont think its the mouse problem because its happen before im using it
thank you

wana,
I can assure you your troubles are not related to the Accessibility Option named “Sticky Keys” (the subject of this article).

But as to why your computer suddenly started acting so strangely, there might be several causes, ranging from hardware to software.
The first thing to try (always) is a reboot.
Then I would suggest downloading and running MBAM (http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html) to look for viruses.
Then I might try uninstalling any recent software changes (starting with GOM Player).
Then maybe do a System Restore.
If those don’t solve it, have a tech take a look.

My keyboard is acting funny. It was working a while ago but suddenly something has happened (i doubt that I have pressed some key). Some examples–desktop coming when I press key D, “my computer” opening up on pressing key E, the window size reduces on pressing the down arrow key, increases with up arrow key etc.

hi techpaul, my laptop is fujitsu, and it’s using Window 8, started from yesterday, my right direction key, the “t, q,u,p,j, 1,3” didn’t work, I tried almost everything you said but it’s not working…
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So heres what happened.. this morning i turned on my laptop (which has windows 7) and a few keys were not working. The L, M, N, X, and enter keys. The strange part is that if i press ANY other button on the keyboard at the same time as those, the buttons work. So i am pressing shift key to use them. I have tried cleaning the buttons (of course before i realized i could press shift) and i have gone into the ease of access center and turned all options off. Any advice would be helpful :)

amandadee,
Very first thing to do with a new oddity = restart the computer/digital device. If that doesn’t clear it up, proceed to troubleshooting.

Those are all shortcut function command keys so I suspect the Fn key, or Alt key, or Windows key has somehow become activated. Try pressing those keys once, to see if it clears up (first try the Fn key, then the Alt key..)

Next, If you recently installed some new keymapping software (such as with a fancy new mouse), or plugged in second keyboard, uninstall them.

i have a problem with my keyboard when i try to enter a it becomes asasasasasas
not only thias button but also qwqwqw, zxzxzx when i enter w or s it happens the same thing i dont know wats causing the problem

Sir or Ms,
If you read my answers in the comments above (yes, I know, there’s a lot of them), you will find several repairs you might try. There is also (several times) a link to another device repair article quite appropriate to keyboards, as well as more answers/repairs in that comment section as well. Good luck.

My external keyboard which i used to use for playing games worked fine till yesterday but today it is showing some unusual problem.
When i press shift tab button they function like caps lock.
Typing the alphabets button also resluts in some random inputs when pressed.
what can i do to sort this out?

Ujjwal,
The comments are numbered (yours was #57). I have given answers previously that may help you.
But to be clear, uninstall any keybord mapping software, and uninstall the external keyboard in Device Manager (there is a link to my article for how to do that in my reply to comment #39.).
Good luck.

I have a Sony laptop, running Vista. Just recently the keyboard started ddoouubblliinngg every keystroke if I’m in Firefox or Internet Explorer. I am typing this post in Notepad to copy and paste, and it works fine. I also tried WordPerfect.
Problem is ONLY in browsers.

Thank you so much for your speedy reply. You’re a peach. :-)
I tried Housecall, but I was unable to install it. I got a message that it was corrupt. Huh!
But it looks like my existing anti virus must have taken care of it, because the problem has left the building.

Thanks again. I’ll be checking out some of your other helpful posts in an attempt to educate my non-geeky brain.

Janet,
While I’m happy the symptom has disappeared, the fact that you couldn’t run Housecall makes me suspicious (and concerned). Try to run this online scanner (Bitdefender) and let me no your results: click here

My keyboard has a problem. I am a gamer, and not only do i like pc and console games but also flash games, such as those found on armorgames.com. Anyhow whenever I play a flash game that uses wasd or arrow keys, sometimes whenever i press the proper key it sticks. Like if in order to move left you press d, whenever i do so my character keeps moving to the left even though i pressed d again or tried pressing other buttons.I have found that clicking the right mouse button and the corresponding key helps a little but the problem is still there.

Edit: My moniter is hooked up to a labtop because the labtop screen got messed up somehow and now the screen is white and in the lower right corner theres some weird black ink-like stuff, and some of it is highlighted in blue. So I plugged in my montier into it so i could still use it, so i plugged a keyboard and mouse into the labtop so i could use both in conjunction with the moniter. The keyboard im using, not the labtop keyboard, is the one thats malfunctioning.

Austin Faust,
My instinct suggests the laptop is so old it’s developing hardware problems, and the best cure in that scenario is a new one (the average lifespan of a digital device is 3-5 years). (Even if it’s not old, I suspect motherboard issues..)
In the meantime.. all I can suggest is that you read my answers in the comments, above, (yes, there’s a lot of them) and try the remedies I’ve supplied previously. (I’d start with the one in the other [link provided] article, and uninstall both keyboards from device manager.)

Thanks and ill try those remedies.
Recently the labtop power moduel (that thingy that the cord goes into) got messed up and now wont charge unless the wire or the lab top is in a certain position. As for the key thing i dont know how old it is because were renting it. What i do know is that its an acer hp labtop, if that helps somewhat.
Also my dog chewed on the wire in some places that we patched up with electrical tape and theres the possibility that might be the problem although we have to move the plug in a certain way to get it to charge, but thats a diffrent problem

Austin Faust,
Well, if you mean the power jack on the laptop itself (the ‘socket’ the cord’s plug goes into) got broken and is now loose in there.. that part is often soldered directly onto the mainboard (aka “motherboard”). A shop could disassemble the laptop and resolder that.. might clear up a few issues (maybe the screen, even) and .. I wouldn’t delay. It’s not going to improve by itself, and might get worse (as in unrepairable).

i’m using windows 8 and i recently got a wireless keyboard to use with my laptop
well just yesterday my left control key has taken up muting and unmuting computer sound and
my left windows key puts the computer to sleep. Is there a fix to this? Both wireless keyboard and laptop are
HP.

Meiou,
Try pressing the Function key once (sometimes labeled “Fn”). If that doesn’t work, you can try contacting HP customer support; and/or also review the answers I have given in previous comments (above).

I’m currently having trouble with my computer my younger brother was irritated with it and I’m not sure what he did but he made it where my computer makes these weird bloop sounds and kind of sounds like a video game everytime I type and the spacebar wont work and I need my computer anyway you can help please do!

abbis,
Well, that’s one I haven’t seen before.. It almost sounds like a ‘macro’ (or maybe a custom “theme”) has been set.
All I can suggest is that you read my answers in the comments above, (yes, there’s a lot of them) and try the remedies I’ve already supplied. (I’d start with the one in the other [linked] article.)

Yolanda,
I am presuming you mean that when you start your computer, and try to ‘log in’ to Windows, that some malfunction with typing is preventing you from properly typing in the correct sequence of keys. If so, you may be able to rectify that by using the “Ease of Access” button/option to open a window that will allow you to turn stick keys off, or choose the “onscreen keyboard. (For a visual tutorial with that, click here.)

pls help
when i hit a key of my laptp keyboard it puts gaps unwanted, for example see hier ä ä ä ä ä ä ä ä
it is sony laptop, it was water glas which induced problem, i dried and cleaned my laptop,
even i have tried new keboard also, but same defekt is alway there with new keyboard,
with external keyboard with usb or bluetooth there is no problem,
pls can you help me

hoschoo,
If you already replaced the keyboard assembly.. You might try going in to Device Manager and “uninstall” the keyboard and reboot/update the driver/replace the keyboard’s ‘ribbon’ cable/take the machine to a technician.

thx for ur reply, it is nice that there are people like u they help others free of charge,
actually i ve done all steps u described, my laptop is not new there are also pixel defect,also because of water,
therefore i will not pay money for this defect, if u believe now it is working without fault, as u see here: ääääääää
i donot know why some times is defect (gapes or spaces), other times not.

I am Using window 8.1 in Dell Laptop “Inspiron 15R”. Unintentionally, I pressed “Shift key” no of times & at one point, I pressed “Yes” too. After that,
1. I find, my “Left Ctrl key” is responding not correctly rather numeric “8” is being typed and
2. “Right Ctrl key” is responding by typing “*”
3. “Fn” key is functioning as “Pgdn”
Please help me to resolve this problem.

Thank you so much! My keys were suddenly acting up and this article explained perfectly what had happened, thanks for this! Totally fixed my problem, I guess I accidentally turned on toggle keys! Great website, really appreciate it.

If I drag my finger across the touchpad it scrolls up and down the page. The only way I’ve found to be able to actually move my cursor is to hold down the left mouse button, but then everything gets highlighted and sometimes things get accidentally moved. Can you help? Thanks!

Megan,
In my answers to previous questions (above) I mention (and link to) another article I wrote that tells you how to uninstall the device driver. I would do that for the touchpad.
If that doesn’t work, you could plug in a wireless mouse..
Or have a tech take a look.

hello there, there’s a problem with my number ‘four’ key, i can press the other numbers with ease (123567890) but not ;four. and sometimes i will get random strings of ‘fours’ coming out. Do you have any idea what might have caused this issue? i am using a laptop and have clean the key but its still not working.

I have a lenovo thinkpad SL500. I had to take it apart to replace the power jack. Once everything is back in place it works beautifully, but one issue. The “D” key is way too sensitive. It is the only one behaving this way. I took the key off and cleaned away anything obstructing and it still is too sensitive. It does not stick. Did I miss something when putting the keyboard back on? Thanks!

Dan,
I doubt it. I have not disassembled that particular notebook, but my thinking would be more along the lines of a long screw – such as the one on the bottom that comes up through and holds the keyboard unit in place – may have been over-tightened, and needs to be backed off a twist or two.

But it sounds like a replace the keyboard, or live with it, kind of .. quirk.

I am working with an Acer Aspire 5253 with the built-in keyboard Windows 7. For 2 weeks now the Left-ALT ESC FN F3 F5 F6 F7 F9 F10 and F11 keys do not work in Windows or applications. Sticky Keys, Key Filters, etc. are off. The keys appear to work correctly with a USB keyboard although I haven’t tested everyone. I have Dritek WMI loaded as well as Acer Launch Manager. Are you aware of a specific issue that can cause these keys to fail? I’ve searched the web for situations similar to mine and they appear on a sporadic basis. All or a subset of the keys mentioned fail in the reports. After 2 weeks of looking for a solution, I don’t know where else to look. The problem is months old so system restore is not an option.

Richard A. Schaefer,
Sorry, but no, I am not aware of that specific problem. But my (combined) answers to previous question (in the Comments above) provide the complete repair regimen. (I think the solution in the other article is your best bet. (Uninstall the device in Device Manager))

I uninstalled the keyboard a few times and no help. I can plug in a USB keyboard and it works correctly, so I’m assuming it may be software related. Maybe I have an incorrect version of Launch Manager installed. Thanks for the suggestion.

Richard A. Schaefer,
Yes, more likely. But hardware (the keyboard assembly or ribbon cable) is also possible. If you did any key mapping, undo it. Reinstalling the model-specific Dritek WMI and Acer Launch Manager from the Acer website is a good next step.

The only trouble I’ve had on my 5253 was LCD screen related; which I almost didn’t replace, as the machine is old, and cheap (lowest-end) to begin with. But I see a keyboard assembly for $20, so..

If it’s a bad enough problem, you could copy off your files, do a ‘factory reset’, and reinstall/copy back.

Hi TechPaul,
I am trying to help a friend with her Acer Laptop. It is running Windows 7. She said that “her babies” got hold to it and were banging on the keyboard. It was displaying weird stuff when you mash the keys, ie; letter o with’ off the side, letter h with the u coming up right beside it, letter j with the m coming up abd others stuff. The / key acted like it was sticking, so i checked and turned off sticky keys. I have also uninstalled the keyboard in Device Manager and even after re-installed, it continues to do the same.
ONE NOTe, i took the / key off, cleaned it and re-installed it. Not seeming to stick any more, BUT, all the other issues still there.
I plugged in a USB keyboard and it works fine.
SO, am I correct to assume that the keyboard itself, may need to be replaced ?

My computers keyboard is not functioning correctly. I was using the Internet and tried to type in something and before I finished it automatically switched back to Google home screen. I kept trying with the same results… so after that I typed in letters one at a time so that I could see with keys were affecting the search. The only key that acted up was my c letter key… after each time I pressed it it sent me back to the home screen… I have been researching what it might be with no luck except everyone saying it is the sticky keys, I have tried the solutions to sticky keys with no luck… the keyboard has a few years of use on it but has never had any problems before that. I am starting to think the keyboard has just gotten to old and needs to be replaced but I would like to know if there is a way I can fix it and I can’t use certain programs until I fix it… please help.

winona,
In my replies to previous questions, (Comments), above, I have already provided the complete DIY repair options (including a link to another keyboard repair article). Read those and, good luck.

It was very helping reading this article.My queation is about my android phone.It just has happened with the keyboeard of my samsung note 3 android phone.the problem is that while typing when i tape on asingle so it taped on mre letters with yhe letter i tap first.so whats this kindly let me know soon and what solutions are there.

Abdul wakeel,
I don’t know. But the Standard Troubleshooting flowchart should help.
1) Reboot.
2) Do a “hard reset”.
3) If under warranty, contact the device manufacturer. If not, read their FAQ and Support pages.
4) Go to the appropriate to the device User Forum and look for others (postings) with your issue (in your case “Android User Forum” and/or “Galaxy User Forum”)
5) Have a Tech take a look at it.
Good luck.

I have a new Acer, Aspire E 15 Start ES1-512-P8NA I usually useaplug in keyboard butbecause this one has an “on board numeric pad” I have done away with it. My problem is the space bar is not working properly. I type away, tapping it both soft and hard and it doesn’t space the words all the time and I have to gobackeach time and separate them. I am trying to gather some samples for you while writing this but it has only happened a couple of times but maybe that is because I am not typing at my usual speed. What can I do itisdrivingmecrazy!

Glenda M Kyle,
First I would use compressed air/soft brush under the spacebar to make sure there’s no little bit of grit/dirt interfering with the motion. Then I might go into Control Panel > Keyboard and fiddle with/adjust tyhe “repeat rate” sliders to see if quickening or slowing better matches my typing..
I have posted several DIY repairs in previous Comments (above), you could try some of those.. But since you said your machine was new (meaning under warranty) you could contact Acer tech support.. maybe there’s a defect.

Help?! My dad is getting angry with me because his keyboard won’t type! 😭 and he Blaims it on me because I was playing deer hunter 2005 on his laptop and I pressed shift and the arrow button at the same time to run. Then this stupid thing came up saying STICKYKEYS and now he can type and I’m in troubl. Your sight doesn’t help because his is a newer version and his settings look nothing like in the pics. It has the windows setup on his home screen. Is it possible you could help me? I’m already in a lot of trouble FOR NOTHING. So I’m so sorry if I am bothering you 😢 I just don’t know what to do

Melanie Evans ^_,
Though Microsoft has “modernized” the control windows somewhat, so they look different, the Ease of Accessabilty function has not changed. You simply need to turn off Sticky Keys… and get your own computer for games.
Go into Control Panel, then Ease of Access Center, then “Make the keyboard easier to use”.

joshua,
Doesn’t sound like a problem. It sounds like you need to adjust the “repeat rate” to something matching your expectations.
You violated protocol/etiquette by not stating the type of device you are referencing.. but in Windows PC’s, that adjustment is found in the Keyboard section of Control Panel (which you may have to change the “view” to “icons” to easily find), while in Macs it’s found in Preferences.

Hi something hapened to my computer… When i try to type something It wont typing but when i press the button In the browser or anywhere the tool bar settings on.. For example In top of the browser are File Tools and… ant at the serch area Itrying to type for example Fools and then the file options show off . When i try to type T.. and again shows Tools options show. If you understand what i Trying to say please help.

That said, follow the instructions in this article to make sure none of the “Accessibility” functions are enabled, and then read through the Comments (above) where you’ll find all the DIY keyboard repair techniques.

Hi. Some help would be appreciated.
I bought a new laptop- HP Pavilion15-ab032TX which comes with Windows 8.1.
I only can explain my problm very elaborately.So please be patient.
When I play a game on my laptop the character should only move/walk when i am holding any of the arrow keys and it should stop moving as soon as i release the key. But some time it so happens that even if i have released a key, the character keeps on moving in that direction unless i press the same key again. I use W,A,S,D as the arrow keys.
Please help me sort this problem out.

Anish,
In Windows, the adjustments for keystroke/keyboard are found in Control Panel > Keyboard, and the Ease of Access Center. I would start my ‘tweaking’ by going in to the latter, and making sure that Filter Keys was off (unchecked). If that doesn’t resolve it, try adjusting the other settings. If that doesn’t help, contact HP.

I would really appreciate some help, having bought a Lenovo A7 Tablet a week ago, when I am typing a facebook status and try to delete something it’s just repeating the word over and over. For example i type “theyre” and try to backspace so I can put the forgotten apostrophe in I end up with “theyTheTheTheTheThe” and the more I try and delete/backspace the more it’s typing “The” over and over. It doesn’t do this on facebook on my laptop only this tablet device. I am tearing my hair out :(

Emma,
I think maybe autosuggest is getting in your way. Try going in to Settings and turning that off.. see if it doesn’t behave more like normal. Another thing you might try is taking it in to the store (you bought it from) and showing them what it’s doing.
Another option is to call Lenovo’s tech support; or post this question on their User Forum.

Thanks Paul, I had to turn off autosuggest and spell check and correct for it to behave! Surely that can’t be right as now I have to keep changing screens to get my punctuation marks. Oh well, at least I can actually type on it now, will just have to check my spelling etc as I go! You’re page is a big help :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My cat walked across the keyboard and my keyboard suddenly wouldn’t repeat any keys – I now know she managed to turn on the filter keys option. The so called tech guy at work couldn’t (or wouldn’t) help me so the last few weeks of work have been excruciating. I do a lot of data entry, so being able to repeat quickly is essential. Cheryl (and Mushka the cat)

im having a problem where my keyboard changes key combinations like shift + 7 to become & instead of a / anyone knows how to fix this? note i have had this problem before but i do not remember how i fixed it, please help

I had a problem with my keyboard mouse kit. all day I was trying to resolve it and on the end I successfully did it. The problem was suddenly the keyboard didn’t work properly when I was trying to press any button was opening new searching window example word “yes” 3 new windows practically you couldnt use it… was a pain… The mouse, drivers everything was looking and working perfectly outside of this… I was looking for a blocked letter even the keyboard was like just one day after I opened from the box… I’ve tried with batteries switching the receiver in all USB ports of my laptop. checking the narrative text predicting etc. Installing windows 3 times and nothing changed.On the end the problem I had was with a driver that the keyboard was installed automatically by the windows when you connecting the receiver of the keyboard &mouse and you can easily disabled that one from system /devices / human interfaces devices / and disable HID control device

Cătălin,
Yes, going in to Device Manager, and Uninstalling (or “disable”-ing) any keyboard other than your main one, is one of the “answers” provided in my previous “Comments”. I’m glad you solved your trouble, and thank you for sharing.

Nick “Nicky” Franco/Ciel,
Um… you may have set a “macro”, or accidentally “mapped” those keys.. so you may want to look up “how to undo” those things. Also, in previous Comments (above) I have provided the DIY repair methods for keyboards. You can read through those.

Hi Paul,
I am astounded by the number of people you have helped. Really impressive work. I like to dig up solutions to my tech problems on my own, so i wouldn’t be asking directly if i had been able to find anything like the issue i’m facing. I think it’s really novel, hope you can think of something though.

I just bought a new plug-and-play, wired keyboard to replace my old worn-out one, and they’re of the same model. Everything is working fine EXCEPT the secondary “&” symbol (shift-7) gives me nothing (i typed that using the on-screen keyboard). Get this, the physical key itself seems to me to be working cause i’m typing the primary “7” perfectly right now. The previous unit did not have this problem.

What i’ve tried:
– I’ve checked my installed languages/keyboards in Control Panel, removed English entirely and re-added it with only the US keyboard and Ink Correction with default settings.
– I’ve gone to Device Manager and uninstalled all the Human Interface Device drivers then unplugged and replugged my mouse and keyboard to make them re-install their drivers automatically.
– It’s a Microsoft product so i’ve gone to the Microsoft support site, downloaded the latest drivers and re-installed everything with default settings.
– I’ve gone to the Ease of Access Control Panel and ensured all keyboard Accessibility functions are disabled.

I can’t go to tech support for help because i have no warranty. Any ideas?

Hi Paul, just to keep you updated, my problem somehow resolved itself today, which is 6 days after i first plugged the new keyboard in. When i first wrote, that was the first day of use. I put it down to a new device shaking off the dust of storage and sorting out its teething problems. Thanks for the help anyways!

I spilled wine onto keyboard and a number of letter keys stopped working. However when I switched computer back on this morning some had started working again. How long should I wait to see if they are all OK? I am currently using an external keyboard and mouse and this is working fine. The spill was about 3 days ago. Would welcome your advice.I don’t want to have a new keyboard installed if its not necessary. Thanks.

caroline ford, I doubt giving it more time will restore it to full functionality.
You are very lucky. Pouring fluid onto a laptop usually kills it. Laptop keyboard replacement is very inexpensive, (approx $30) and simple enough that the average person could do it themselves. So if you took it to a shop, I’d be surprised if they charged you more than $75. (And, as you know, plugging in external devices works as well.)

This short video may give you a better idea of the process: . The only ‘trick’ is making sure you get the part, and the guide, specific to your make and model.

caroline ford,
I have no way of knowing if your wine spill will further evaporate with a 4th, 5th, or 6th day… but as I said, I don’t think it’ll will improve. (And I think you were darn lucky all you need is a keyboard…)

Thank you!!!! I was bafflled, (and so was my husband) when I tried to type and it would make a ticking sound, but not type anything. But if I held down the key, it would work. (It would also work when I needed to type in my password after start up). I googled the symptoms and your article popped up. Sure enough, the filter keys option was turned on. Turned it off, and it works!! Hooray! And thank you!!!

james,
your question is exactly like the scores I have already provided answers to in the comments above.. and i provide links to two other articles. Read those. Try those repairs. Maybe you’ll have luck. But since keyboards are mechanical, it may prove that you’ll have to replace the keyboard. Good luck.

hello friends… i have a serious problem in my laptop keypad. actually my friend took my laptop for seeing movies. after he return my laptop the “print screen” button on my laptop seems to be always pressed and i cant do anything such as cut, copy of any files. if i am trying to copy a word doc means after copied and while pasting it to the destination system do paste the screen shot of the current window only but not the copied word doc. i cant do anything with this. when i checked, my friend newly installed kmp player in my laptop. also my lap is getting hang very often. i am using Lenovo laptom and windows 7 OS. kindly help me to get ride of this issue. awaiting for the solutions. please help me …. Thank you….

Hello, Paul. I have an optical wireless mouse and when ever I plug it into any of the 3 USB ports on my laptop the volume goes all the way up. Trying to lower it, either with the icon or the key board, only results in the volume going right back up. Everything is fine though if I unplug the mouse. I’ve tried rebooting the laptop, updating the drivers for the sound and uninstalling the mouse as well as the speakers but the problem persists. The laptop is an Acer Aspire, probably 4 year old, and I’m running windows 10 (thanks to the free upgrade). I’ve had the upgrade for at least a few months and the mouse for nearly a year but the volume problem started last night and I wasn’t using the key board when it started. Oh, and it’s the same when I have the head phones plugged in too but I didn’t have them plugged in at the time. I’d be ever so grateful if you could tell me how to fix this.

Vickey,
Huh. That is a new one on me. Did you install a new app or program last night?

If no, I’d start by making sure the mouse’s dongle didn’t have lint or a hair in it. Then (if persists) I’d try a different wireless mouse (buy or borrow) to see if it was the mouse or the laptop…
If it proved to be the laptop (i.e., if you plug a different wireless mouse in, and the same trouble exists) I’d next try uninstalling the USB controller(s).. And then I’d quit trying. I don’t spend too much time or money on old machines.

Karissa,
Your question is exactly like the multiple dozens I have already provided answers to in the comments above.. and I provide links to two other articles. Read those. Try those repairs. Maybe you’ll have luck. Good luck.

hello can I ask how do I fix if the laptop cant type the letter J and sometimes its automatically type on search programs and files or in Microsoft office whenever I open it ? please answer thank u so much

My keyboard is working perfectly in other programs, however as of yesterday when using Microsoft word 2010, it gives trouble. I have to be constantly pressing keys to type their assigned letters. It has made typing in word a task as I have to constantly read back an ensure no letters or numbers are missing from sentences. Please help! I don’t know what happened. It was working fine the night before and the problem is only when using word.

JeR,
As always, the first thing to try is a reboot (restart the computer). Then try (briefly) pressing the Shift and F1 keys (together same time) and then let me know if it worked. If it didn’t, I need to know if you are on a Mac or a PC.

Hope you can help, my keypad and left and right arrows key have suddenly taken it into their minds to play up. With Nu Lock on, pressing the number 9 key or plus key gives me 9+ on one key press. Pressing the left arrow key gives me a hyphen and the up arrow key gives me a full stop. I’ve checked keyboard languages, key board setup and sticky keys, all to no avail. Any help you could give would be most welcome.

So i read all the comments and your article and i have googled this problem alot but cant seem to find an answer. My keyboard works fine plugged into and other PC its a razer Anansi and im using software version 1.18. but on my pc when i try to use it, i lag or sometimes a key just wont respond till i push it 5 times then it only puts in 1 letter/number. its not a constant thing. happens at most 1 time every five minutes. or whenever i seem to be typing in a password.

nic,
Is that a wireless keyboard? It sounds like one possibility is it is now closer to another 2.4 GHz transmitter.. a cordless phone basestation or WiFi router maybe? Bluetooth speaker? Another thing to try is go into Control Panel > Keyboard and adjust sensitivity…

No its a wired keyboard. it even uses 2 usb slots itsself. but yes it is right next to my wireless/wired razer mamba mouse. my wireless phone, and bluetooth speakers. Al the wires go through the same desk grommet on my desk. do you think the wires being so close like that(magnetic field?) + the wireless devices next to it are causing interference?

i havent tried the sensitivity but i cant find a setting for it in windows8.1.

nic,
Well, I don’t use Win8, so a quick google search for that. (But I believe the built-in Search, start typing “keyb” will get you there.) As for EMF interference, I believe its possible.. I guess. Another possibility might also be small break (a “short”) in the cable itself… A process of trial and error might find a happy result. Try moving/adjusting things.. Not sure what else to advise, frankly, besides a new keyboard maybe.

Issue is keys are delayed when pressed. Now if I hold any one key they all work normally. For example if I just hold down ctrl and type every key types right away. If I release the ctrl key then they are all delayed once again. I’ve checked all the sticky keys, Accessibility Options, and filter keys. Nothing is checked. I’ve even gone as far to restore to factory. Wiping all data. Nothing so far has worked. Any ideas what could be the problem?

Hi, I’m using Acer Aspire E 14. I’m not sure what I did but my arrow keys are not scrolling but instead adjusts the brightness/volume of my laptop. If I press Fn then it will scroll but this activates numpad then I have to press Shift to get it back to normal. Any help on how I’ll be able to scroll and type normally without having to use Fn or Shift? Thank you in advance.

Eff,
Yeah… Sorry but I’m not sure what you did either. I am only vaguely familiar with this issue, thanks to people who wanted it set this way (gamers and Media Center PC) a while back, and then you had to install key mapping software to do it. You might search on/post this question on the Acer forum (or if still under warranty call them).

It may also help to go into Accessibility Options and UN-check every keyboard-related option.

hello,
i`m using an LG windows computer with a DELL keyboard in my school and i was trying to get the caret key by pressing ctrl, shift and 6 and i guess i accidentally pressed the ctrl button to or something else and now, shift and 6 is giving me this `?` while the forward slash which should normally give me a question mark is giving me `É`. I cant even use the inverted commas again. its like all the keys i get when i combine them with shift have become messed up.

thanks! i read through but i didn’t see this particular problem. i normally use shift + 6 for the caret but i think i accidentally pressed ctrl and shift while trying to get the caret. after i pressed that, a lot of my signs have changed. i cant get a forward slash again i get this instead é and my inverted commas i just noticed have shifted to shift + full stop and comma and my curly brackets give me¨¨ÇÇÇ when i use shift with them.
this is not the firs time this is happening. the first time, i thought it was a fault with the computer but now similar thing is happening..

try plugging in a USB keyboard.. if the attached keyboard behaves normally, you know you have a bad (onboard keyboard) and you need to replace it or have a tech do it. If it does the same thing, your computer has a problem and you should have a tech take a look.

Hi,
When 2, 3, “.”, right ctrl, numpad 9, numpad 2, numpad +, f9 right arrow key is pressed, it keeps flashing around different parts of the screen extremely fast. It is a brand new logitech k120 with drivers all up to date both for computer and keyboard, and power management is turned off on usb input devices on device manageer. Have tried turning off computer on and off too, works only for a while. Happens whether on chrome, windows or ingame but works fine on discord only. Thanks for your help if possible.

It sounds kind of like numberpad navigation is on.. try hitting numlock.. see if that makes a difference. Turn off “keyboard navigation”. If no luck, contact Logitech.. (I’d start by looking at their FAQ’s)(and not some random guy on the Internet..)

I typed a 6 and I get a 56. I think the letter characters are fine because I was able to type my email address but typing the numbers, brought up multiple numbers but not the same number. I turned off my computer as I’m worried that it’s because I wiped the keys with a wet tissue.

I just turned it on now, hoping it would be ok by now. At first I tried the numbers and characters and I thought it was fine but then I typed r and found out that I got r6 and if I type y, I get y8. :(. I depend on this laptop and I can’t afford another laptop or pay for repairs. I turned it off again. Do you think it will work if I wait some more or there’s no point?

Thanks for your help techpaul. The problem is no longer there. I thought I should give an update.

I told a friend about it and she sent me a web link of someone else having the same issue with getting those certain letters returning y8, r6 but their problem went away on it’s own. I hoped that it would for me too but I waited days and I still had the problem.

I kept it turn off for days with no power with the charger unplugged and i also tried to blow dry it with a hair dryer lightly and then left it turned off more hours and after waiting so long, I finally I turned it on but the problem was still there. Then the next day I took the laptop to a friend to uninstall a security firewall that was installed a couple of days before. She also had an external keyboard which worked which worked properly. But my keyboard still didn’t work and I found that typing l, produced l9. And also that if I typed 6, 8, and 9, it would print out r6, y8, and l9 which I didn’t notice before. I turned off the keyboard each time and let the battery drain out, I went to the computer repair shop ask for a cost estimate to replace the keyboard. By the 6th day, I also found other keys that didn’t print out with the shift key. For example, I could type e and r but not shift capitals E and R but typing Q worked and not left curley brace and many characters just didn’t print with the shift key. I was worried that what if I replaced the keyboard and it still wouldn’t work. I even thought that I would have to pay for a diagnostic test. I turned it on because there was no point waiting it to dry anymore and the problem was still there. I turned it off. Then I think 2-3 hours later, at 2am, I turned on the laptop without thinking about it and all the keys worked. What a relief.

Hello Paul,
I was having several issues with my keyboard and have been able to resolve all of them by reading and implementing information from your blog………. THANK YOU!!!

However, one issue remains….. when I’m typing my k eyboard enters spaces whenever it feels like it!!! Examples are within this paragraph. Either it will enter spaces where I do not what them, or NOT put a space between words. I’m a very quick typist an d having to constantly correct this is a pain.

Whenever I’ve heard this complaint, it is from a ‘very quick typist’. The first thing to do is try typing very slowly (for you.. what others might call ‘normal’ XD ) and see if the issue remains.. if so, repeat the experiment, but try going even slower.. if it still remains, you might need a replacement keyboard/pad (not a terribly big deal, actually).

If it proves that your speed is the issue (the computer’s just not keeping up), Go into Control Panel, Keyboard, Keyboard Properties, and try adjusting the repeat rate, and repeat delay.

It may be that your wrist/jewelry is brushing the spacebar (or, ‘trackpad’) .. removing bracelets, slightly shifting your hand position may help, too (maybe disabling the trackpad, if that’s the culprit).

Hi! There’s been a weird thing going on with my computer where the volume refuses to go down, and the mouse pad doesn’t work at all. Sometimes the volume does adjust, but I’m not sure why it does sometimes but not others. If I try to lower the volume, it keeps trying to go back up. The volume scale is constantly visible in the corner of my screen, whereas before it would vanish as soon as I stopped adjusting the volume. The keyboard works, but I’ve had to “click” everything by touchscreen and listen to everything at 100% volume for the past few weeks. Do you have any ideas what might be wrong? (I know it’s not any of the accessibility options because none of the are activated. Also I’m not a super fast typer (only around 50wpm) so I don’t think that could be it either.)

I was having trouble with the first letter not typing until I hit the key twice(very annoying) I even bought a new keyboard.
After running adaware and malwarebytes(which picked up 9 problems but did not affect this one) I started d/ling and reinstalling programs. I discovered my “Tor” browser was interfering with my Firefox(or vice versa) either way I reinstalled both and my problem was solved.
Thanks for the guidance Paul, it was greatly appreciated.

I am using a Logitech K330 series keybord… some of my keys are working strangely, caps lock keys press shows numeric 8, Down arrow key press alphabet D appears, Esc key is working as help function key. please help.

• About Tech Paul

I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
They’re anything but.

I regularly posted how-to’s and tricks & tips and general computing advice here starting in 2007. (Use the Search tool to find answers. But be aware, many are rather dated.) Sometimes I answered (your) specific questions in an article if I believed the answer was generally helpful to “everyone”. All the writing you see was my own, typos and all. There always is/was an implied “IMHO” in what you see here.

Note: You are responsible for using this blog and its content. I am in no way liable for any losses caused by user error, viruses and/or other malware, hardware or software failure, or any other conceivable reason.

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